SAN ANTONIO — Texas athletic director Steve Patterson said Monday he hopes to hire a replacement for coach Mack Brown by Jan. 15 but declined to discuss any “individual pieces of the puzzle.”

Speaking before the Longhorns' game against Oregon in the Valero Alamo Bowl, Patterson said he has discussed the search with UT's eight-member advisory committee and is making progress. He did not specify whether his pool of candidates is expanding or shrinking, however.

Patterson, who took over as athletic director in November, said there has been no shortage of people asking about the job but said “the guys we're talking to aren't filling out applications.”

Patterson's self-imposed Jan. 15 deadline is significant because it's the end of college football's recruiting dead period, during which coaches aren't allowed to call or visit high school prospects.

But that date also is late enough to give UT time to interview several targets who have yet to coach in bowl games — a group including Florida State's Jimbo Fisher, Baylor's Art Briles and Vanderbilt's James Franklin. Louisville's Charlie Strong is another potential candidate.

Patterson said whoever he hires will honor scholarship offers to recruits who already have committed to UT. He didn't comment on specific salary figures but intimated that the richest athletic department in the country will not break the bank.

“We're not out to set a new threshold,” Patterson said. “I think you need to be good stewards of the resources you have.”